On October 30, 2017 the Toronto Star’s Public Editor, Kathy English, told Honest Reporting Canada that “the reporters [Jennifer Yang] and her editors put an immense amount of thought and consideration into this piece.”

Background

On October 22, 2017, the Toronto Star dedicated four pages, including its front page, to an attempt to exonerate Ayman Elkasrawy, an imam at “Masjid Toronto” mosque, from anti-Jewish and anti-infidel prayers during Ramadan 2016. It is filled with errors in fact and the gross omission of facts.

The article was written by Jennifer Yang and approved by Kathy English, the Star’s public editor.

I have sent several media inquiries to the Publisher, John Boynton; Bob Hepburn media inquiries; Kathy English and Jennifer Yang. None responded.

Responding to a media inquiry from Jennifer Yang, The Toronto Star reporter Jonathan Halevi wrote the following on July 25, 2017:

“Ayman Elkasrawy’s posts on social media may help you a great deal in your research.”

Yang wrote in her article: “Elkasrawy says he agreed to speak with the Star because “I have nothing to hide.”

Yang DID NOT publish in her article any information from Elkasrawy’s social media posts. She also DID NOT tell the readers that Jonathan Halevi recommended that she look into Elkasrawy’s social media posts.

The following are some of Elkasrawy’s statements on Facebook and Twitter:

February 12, 2017 – Ayman Elkasrawy shared with a “love emoticon sticker” ‎الجزيرة – مصر‎’s an album featuring statements praising Hassan al-Banna the founder of the global movement of the Muslim Brotherhood on anniversary of his assassination by the Egyptian secret police in 1949.

October 9, 2016– Ayman Elkasrawy shared ‎انصار بورسعيد‎’s video adding (originally in Arabic): “May Allah have mercy on [Saad Mohamed el-Husseiny] el-Shazly [Egypt’s chief of staff during the October/ Yom Kippur War against Israel in 1973] and may Allah free President [Mohammad] Morsi [leader of the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood] from his captivity.”

September 22, 2016– Ayman Elkasrawy shared CNN’s Erin Burnett’s tweet “On whether saying “radical Islamic” terror is fair, the Muslim leader of the ‘most populous Arab country [Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi] says. YES “It is Islamic extremism.” Elkasrawy added the following comment (originally in Arabic): “The head of the hypocrisy of this era, the criminal, the traitor.”

August 8, 2016– Ayman Elkasrawy posted the following (originally in Arabic): “O Allah do not defer [it] to this butcher and criminal [Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah Sissi] and his soldiers… O Allah avenge… remove their kingdom.”

“All Muslims Must Make Jihad. Jihad is an obligation from Allah on every Muslim and cannot be ignored nor evaded. Allah has ascribed great importance to jihad and has made the reward of the martyrs and the fighters in His way a splendid one. Only those who have acted similarly and who have modelled themselves upon the martyrs in their performance of jihad can join them in this reward. Furthermore, Allah has specifically honoured the Mujahideen with certain exceptional qualities, both spiritual and practical, to benefit them in this world and the next. Their pure blood is a symbol of victory in this world and the mark of success and felicity in the world to come…

“Islam is concerned with the question of jihad and the drafting and the mobilisation of the entire Umma into one body to defend the right cause with all its strength than any other ancient or modern system of living, whether religious or civil. The verses of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH) are overflowing with all these noble ideals and they summon people in general (with the most eloquent expression and the clearest exposition) to jihad, to warfare, to the armed forces, and all means of land and sea fighting…

“Why Do the Muslims Fight?… jihad is used to safeguard the mission of spreading Islam. This would guarantee peace and the means of implementing the Supreme Message. This is a responsibility which the Muslims bear, this Message guiding mankind to truth and justice… The Muslims in war had only one concern and this was to make the name of Allah Supreme, there was no room at all for any other objective…

“Many Muslims today mistakenly believe that fighting the enemy is jihad asghar (a lesser jihad) and that fighting one’s ego is jihad akbar (a greater jihad). The following narration [athar] is quoted as proof: “We have returned from the lesser jihad to embark on the greater jihad.” They said: “What is the greater jihad?” He said: “The jihad of the heart, or the jihad against one’s ego.” This narration is used by some to lessen the importance of fighting, to discourage any preparation for combat, and to deter any offering of jihad in Allah’s way. This narration is not a saheeh (sound) tradition…

“My brothers! The ummah that knows how to die a noble and honourable death is granted an exalted life in this world and eternal felicity in the next. Degradation and dishonour are the results of the love of this world and the fear of death. Therefore prepare for jihad and be the lovers of death. Life itself shall come searching after you.”

“The Goals of the Muslim Brotherhood” – Excerpts from the Muslim Brotherhood’s official website

“The prophet Muhammad as its leader and ruler, and jihad as its path.”

“We want a Muslim individual, a Muslim home, a Muslim people, a Muslim government and state that will lead the Islamic countries and bring into the fold the Muslim Diaspora and the lands robbed from Islam and will then bear the standard of jihad and the call [da’wah] to Allah. [Then the] world will happily accept the precepts of Islam….The problems of conquering the world will only end when the flag of Islam waves and jihad has been proclaimed.”

“The goal is to establish one Islamic state of united Islamic countries, one nation under one leadership whose mission will be to reinforce adherence to the law of Allah…and the strengthening of the Islamic presence in the world arena….The goal…is the establishment of a world Islamic state.”

“And if prayer is a pillar of the faith, then jihad is its summit…and death in the path of Allah is the summit of aspiration.”

Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi, a staunch Islamist, who in the past was a candidate for the Muslim Brotherhood leadership, issued a fatwa in April 2003, describing how Islam would conquer Europe and defeat Christianity by exploiting Western liberalism and democracy. It would be made possible, he promised, by spreading Islam until it was strong enough to take over the entire continent. He wrote that “it is eminently clear that the future belongs to Islam, and that the religion of Allah will be victorious and will, by the grace of Allah, conquer all other religions.” His prediction was based on an Islamic tradition according to which the prophet Muhammad said that one of the signs of redemption in Islam would be the initial conquest of Constantinople and then the conquest of Rome.

According to Qaradawi, “Constantinople was conquered in 1453 by a 23-year old Ottoman named Muhammad ibn Murad, whom we call Muhammad the Conqueror. Now what remains is to conquer Rome. That is what we wish for, and that is what we believe in. After having been expelled twice, Islam will be victorious and reconquer Europe….I am certain that this time, victory will be won not by the sword but by preaching and [Islamic] ideology….The conquest of Rome and the spread of Islam East and West will be the fruit of the seed we plant and entail the return of the Caliphate, which treads the straight path [of Islam] and is based on the path of the prophets….[The Caliphate] is worthy of leading the nation to victory.…”

Like Qaradawi, ‘Akef does not hide the Muslim Brotherhood’s aspirations to lead a world Islamic revolution. He has stated that “the path of the Muslims is global,” and Islam is the “religion of humanity.” The Caliphate, he explained, is “the home of the entire [Islamic] nation, not only of the Muslim Brotherhood….We want…the Arab-Muslim world to be one nation, relying on the words of Allah: ‘This is your nation, one nation.’”

Questions:

Toronto Star maintained that “[The] context is key in determining the appropriate translation [of Elkasrawy’s prayers].” So why didn’t the Toronto Star disclose the fact that Ayman Elkasrawy’s affiliation with the Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood and his support of the Muslim Brotherhood’s government in Egypt headed by Mohammad Morsi?

Why didn’t the Toronto Star tell its readers about Jonathan Halevi’s recommendation to Jennifer Yang to look into Elkasrawy’s social media posts?

On October 30, the Toronto Star’s Public Editor, Kathy English, told Honest Reporting Canada that “the reporters [Jennifer Yang] and her editors put an immense amount of thought and consideration into this piece.”